Nancy Johnson (1)

I finished this awhile ago (and thought I already reviewed it!) I devoured the book in just a few days, and the story has stuck with me.
The author read a chapter of this book in its early stages a few years ago at one of our writer retreats and the piece stuck with me. I'm so glad I've been able to read the whole story now.
Yes, the story talks about racism in our country, but it also focuses on family, what makes a family, and what tests a family and relationships.
It's a great must-read!
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Ruth Tuttle at 17 years old had a baby boy in a small town of Indiana. But her grandma immediately took the child away and she went in another direction: Yale. After 11 years, she decided to return from her plush home in Chicago with her husband to find out from her grandma what happened to her son that she never knew. Her grandma lived in a simple house where she was always ready to serve a meal.

While reading, I could see the image of the streets with their favorite bars, churches and hair salons. I could picture each character. My favorite was her grandmother who reminded me of my own mother of the same generation being very direct with whatever was on her mind. She said to Ruth: "I'm real proud of you. But you know they're not going to have you on that job for very long with that wild hair." The book made me recall how women from my mother's time put money in their bras for safe keeping. She had one brother and commented "as much as folks refuse to admit it, mothers love their children differently."

I could easily see how this book could be made someday into a movie. The novel speaks about race and how one family solved their problems in a small town. I highly recommend it. The book will be released in February, 2021.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for allowing me to read an advanced copy.



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